Hardened Hearts
by Amsnuggles
Summary: The story of two Jedi. Aedrig, a whirlwind of energy city girl and Thrusbane, a quiet tatooine farm boy. Both sent to Tython for training when trouble and chaos hits sooner than expected. This is a collaboration story of two players Drakonl (Carolusrex) and Eritei (Amsnuggles).
1. Chapter 1 Aedrig

Harden Hearts

Aedrig

"There is no emotion there is peace."Aedrig mumbled as she bounced from window to window. Today was the day. Tython was the final step to becoming a Jedi. She'd been training since she was old enough to walk. After the Battle of Coruscant, any and all force sensitive children were secluded and highly guarded. What with the few Jedi left. Even regular civilians had been taught to fight.

This was the first time she'd set off Coruscant.

"Wow!" She admired the green grass and wild running water. It was so primitive, at least compared to the busy city. Three other padawans were coming from Coruscant. Two she knew- they were twin twi'leks. Always together and never apart. They'd been whispering about the Twi'lek Settlement on the far side of the compound. All she could gather from her elders was the Republic wanted the settlement gone and they refused. Aedrig figured the planet was big enough for everyone so who cared. The other was a boy she'd never met before. He'd been quiet for most of the ride aside from a slight "Whoa!" when they met some turbulence.

They landed and she was the first one out. She took in everything. The smell of Tython dirt, a visionary sapphire blue sky- the taste of cool fresh water.

"Over here young padawans. I'll show you to the barracks and where everything is."

Bouncing up after rolling in the grass, she followed her tour guide. She didn't listen much as they walked the dirt path to some large buildings. Everything needed to be looked at, inspected, retained for future memory. A shiver ran down her pigtails-as if someone was watching her. Looking around she noticed the boy again-watching with an almost sheepish look on his face. Her cheeks flashed with fire-slightly embarrassed. Tugging on her pigtails she dusted grass from her hair and outfit.

They came up upon the Jedi Council building. Here she'd actually train one on one with a master. Oh she couldn't wait.

"When will we get to start training with our Jedi Masters?" She interrupted.

"Later, have patience."

Breathing deep and slow she tried to calm her excitement.

"Alright, that's all. Go get settled. I'll come back later to take you all to the mess hall for supper."

All their gear had been neatly stacked by the barracks. The older students ran in and out on errands for their Masters. All smiled and tried to stay out of the way as the three newbies settled. She was done first. It felt like she could run for miles- the excitement refusing to ebb away.

 _"_ _There is no emotion there is peace."_ The voice of her father came to memory. _"Concentrate and go through your forms. It will help calm you."_

She found a semi-secluded spot by the stream and flowed through the motions.

Shii-Cho followed by Masashi and lastly Soresu.

She did it again and again and again.

By the time she was calm it was at the last glimpse of light. Her name was being call. Wiping the sweat from her brow she called out.

"I'm here!" And she ran to where she heard their voices.

Dinner was fresh vegetables, still warm bread with butter, baked fish with some creamy cheese sauce and berry fruit salad for dessert. Just laying her eyes on it had her salivating and stomach growling. While they ate the Guide talked.

"Tomorrow, we will test you and see where your strengths and weaknesses are. Each person will be evaluated as while as how well you work with a team."

She torn a piece of bread and stuffed it in her mouth.

"The Masters will be watching to see who would benefit best in select fields."

"Do we get to meet the Masters before being tested?" The boy asked.

"After testing there will be plenty of time to talk with them, Padawan Thusbane."

So that was what his name was. Very unusual. She wonder what it meant.

"Alright finish your meal and to bed. We have a busy day tomorrow."

Tomorrow came and day stared at dawn. She was groggy but still full of excitement. They headed out to an open field. Four older Padawans and their combat instructor were already there and sparring off. Once they were done each presented their old training saber to one of the four of us.

Aedrig's was worn but sturdy. She gave it a few practice swings before there guide who was becoming more like their group mentor and who's name she never could remember, gave a narrowing look.

The older padawans then were presented new training sabers. _When did they get lightsabers?_

"Each of you will show what combat skills you have against your elder padawan. This is to assess strength, weakness, guard, retaliation, reflex, and endurance." It was the combat instructor. "Take a brief moment to get acquainted with your weapon."

Aedrig rolled it in her hand before tossing it to her left. "My names Aedrig." She greeted her sparing partner.

Her opponent was a male Cathar. "My named Zuke. Sorry if I hurt you."

"Gotta learn somehow." She smiled to try and reassure him. Then it was time to duel.

She waited on him. A slight guarded stance. He was fast and his reflex what you'd expect from a Cathar. He was pushing her back if she didn't find away threw his swipes. Foundation in fighting is always key. She'd start with his foot work. Sloppy. He worked off his toes. Hooking her own foot around his she unbalanced him. He fell on his back and she pointed her blade down at him.

"Feet are foundation. Fix that and you be one hard pressed opponent." And she helped him to his feet.

"A very good round. Now I'm going to switch it up." The combat instructor put two of the older padawans together then Thusbane and her together. Then he swapped the twins.

Thursbane's face was red and his breathing quick. She hadn't seen his fight. Had he won or had his opponent been hard pressed like hers? The duels began again.

She started the same as before. But he waited for her to attack first. _Had the other battle worn him out?_ While he waited she watch his feet. He had excellent form. She started with little taps- testing his guard and parry and reflexes. No flaws for weaknesses there. Perhaps distraction. Talking. As her father use to ask her all the time-are you ever quiet?

"Where'd you learn to fight?" She asked him. His focus shifted and his guard dropped a smidgen.

"Oh um.. the desert rancher- Mr. Kudox. I'm also not bad with a pistol or shotgun." He sheepishly grinned.

"My dad taught me. He tried to teach me the assault rifle as well until my mom found out and put her foot down." Downward strike. He blocked. Medium force. "She didn't like me playing with any weapons actually. "

"We always had the Sand People attacking. Mr. Kudox thought it prudent to teach the community after two farms were slaughtered during the night." He leaped and struck. More of closing the distance than actually doing damage. But he followed with a series of two handed strikes. The sudden shift in attack threw her off balance. With a parry and dodge did she just manage to avoid his onslaught. She couldn't take that much force and weight without another training saber. Taking a quick look around, she saw most of the others just standing and watching their battle. Then they wont need their saber right now. Force pulling the nearest saber she crossed the blades as the next wave of strikes came down. Shoving him off she took the offensive. Her strikes were faster and more accurate if not powerful. They made nicks in his armor. Then a force shield began protecting him. He switched stances and she was back to defense. When he double handed his hilt she readied a force rebound. If she couldn't damage him maybe he'd do it himself.

Neither of them encountered the other. Both were pulled apart by the combat instructor. Her legs dangled wildly above the ground.

"No fair!" She whined. "We were having fun." She looked at Thusbane and grinned.

"You two will talk with Master Soon Guy." He pointed to Thusbane and her. "Everyone else will follow me to the next test."

Zuke looked back at the both of us. I gave him a thumbs up but he just looked confused.

The combat instructor lead us through the field up a mountain pass. It had to of been past breakfast and into lunch time buy the time they made it to the top. Master Soon Guy paced as his students ran through routines Aedrig didn't recognize.

"Master, I bring two new students." Master Soon Guy ignored the combat instructor as he rattled off different forms. At first she assumed the master was human but upon closer inspection she saw the head wrap of the Miraluka.

"Our teacher is blind?" Thursbane whispered at her.

"He see with the force." She whispers.

"And I have excellent hearing." The master turned to them. The instructor bowed and began the decent down the mountain again.


	2. Chapter 2 Thursbane

Thursbane tried to clear his head when they were walking up the mountain. That entire night he had been having a weird dream where he was floating in a kolto tank with someone watching him from outside it. Words were spoken that he could not piece together, but they still echoed in his head all the same. He hadn't slept much.

Finally he got his concentration back, he sometimes felt like he was in a sandstorm back on Tatooine when that dream bothered him at night.

At least his companion had better focus, and energy. She was like a little sand rat the way her legs became a blur when she ran. Her little pig tails bobbing around on her head as she crazily attacked him in practice. Basically, Aedrig was fast.

The combat instructor left, and Thursbane had begun to regret opening his mouth. But whatever, too late now.

"Uh, yes Master." Thursbane and Aedrig both stood to attention.

Half of Master Soon Guy's face was covered with a white cap that wrapped over most of the face with a golden bar going down the middle. He wore golden armored robes of a red material that flowed smoothly as he walked towards them. He had a solemn look on his face and his jaw was locked tight as if he was contemplating something unpleasant.

He set his head towards each of them, what he saw in either of them Thursbane could not tell. Half of the man's face was covered. But he guessed that they were "seen" with the Force.

"I can see why the Instructor brought you to me." Master Soon Guy said nothing more. "Drop your weapons, you will not be needing them for what comes next."

Thursbane looked over to Aedrig and raised his eyebrow. She shrugged at him and they both removed the practice electro-swords from their backs. Thursbane did not like that feeling but he didn't see the point in arguing.

"What for Master?" Aedrig asked once her weapons were down.

"So you can learn." The Master turned from them and pointed to a higher point on the mountain above them. With nothing that looked like a path leading to it.

"Go there, and you will find an old shrine deep within a cave. Leave your weapons. Come back to me if you survive and I will know what you have faced." Master Soon Guy turned away from them and walked back towards the other students.

Thursbane grabbed his old silver amulet for strength, and cleared his mind again. Then he and Aedrig took off towards the higher point of the mountain.

[How are we going to get up this massive cliff?] He wondered.


	3. Chapter 3 Aedrig

_Climb a cliff- how hard could it be?_ She glanced at Thursbane he gripped a necklace of some sort. But instead of asking about it she said, "I'll race you!" and ran over to the cliff face.

It was tall- maybe twice as tall as the Jedi temple? She found her footing and started to climb- Thursbane right behind her.

They were about half- way up. Thursbane was parallel to her. Tatoonie had cliffs, he must be good at climbing.

"I'm still going to get to the top first." She teased. Sweat dripped down her face and neck causing her to shake her pigtails.

"We shouldn't go too fast. We could fall." Thursbane argued. Sweat soaked his shaggy hair.

They were up about three-fourths of the way. She turned to ask about his necklace when her footing missed and she slide down the cliff. Thursbane caught her hand as she fell.

"Don't be so careless!" He yelled at her.

"That was close! Thanks!" She smiled at him despite his harsh words.

"Just be more careful." He let go once she had her grip again.

They got to the top and fell on their backs laughing. They made it. They were stronger for it.

"You win!" She said once they were done laughing.

"You made it to the top first." He sat up.

"Yeah but I would have fallen if you hadn't caught me." She smiled at him and tightened her pigtails.

He didn't say anything but had a thoughtful look.

"So there should be a cave and shrine somewhere here?" They walked through trees and came to the mouth of a cave just as the Master had said. Something was off. It was quiet- too quiet. There should have been birds chirping and leaves rustling.

"I don't like this." She whispered and rubbed her arms getting suddenly chilled.

"You don't think the Master put us in any real danger? Do you?" He reached for a weapon that wasn't there.

"If we go in there. We're not going without a weapon of some kind." She ran over to the trees and found some sticks. "I use to sneak out of the guarded force-sensitive facility back on Coruscant to check out the different sectors. At first I didn't bring anything to fight with. I was on the capital of the galaxy what was there to be afraid of? The Sith were long gone. Well one night I got attacked. They stole the few credits I had and left me bruised in an alleyway. After that I wanted to really learn to protect myself and others and I never went anywhere without a weapon- whether it was a training saber or a broken pipe." She tossed him a stick.

"But do you think a stick is going to really protect you?"

"It's not the stick or the training saber that protects you. It's knowing how to use it. It's your abilities and believing you can accomplish great things against great odds."

"What about the force?" He spun the stick in his hands.

"The force will be there when you need it. Why bother it if you can do the same task with your hands." She swung it a few times to get a feel for it.

They ventured forth- sticks in hand- into the cave. It was dark.

"I can't see anything." She said.

"Maybe we should go back outside and make a torch." He suggested.

"Good idea." They clumsily turned around and came back outside. Except it wasn't the outside they remembered. Instead of a forest of trees atop a cliffside, they were heading down path to a grove with a small pool of water. Frogs croaked and crickets chirped. There was a tiny waterfall with a very misshapen rock underneath it.

Aedrig cupped her hand to take a drink of water.

"STOP!" Thursbane knocked her hand spilling the water.

"What?" She looked at the water. It seemed fine.

"It's sacred water."

"You're not in the desert anymore. Besides aren't you thirsty from climbing the cliff-face?"

"You don't understand. This is the shrine. See." He pointed to the misshapen rock under the waterfall. "That's the Father." Then he pulled some vines and weeds to reveal two smaller statues on either side of the waterfall. "This is the Son. And that one over there is the Daughter."

"It there no Mother in this family?" She asked as she inspected the statues.

"We don't talk about her."

"Why not?"

"Because she became chaos." She could tell he was getting frustrated.

"Alright. You know the most about this. What should we do?"


	4. Chapter 4 Thursbane

"This is a test Aedrig, it has to be." Thursbane told her. "You see, each of them is a part of the Force. A symbol."

Thursbane pointed to the statue of the Daughter. "She represents the Light Side of the Force. All that is good."

He then pointed to the Son, which was made of a darker stone than the Daughter. "He represents the Dark Side of the Force, but isn't completely evil either."

"So they balance each other out?" Aedrig asked him, silently drinking more water as Thursbane's back was turned.

"No, they represent extremes. Too much of either side and you can become imbalanced and be working against your beliefs." Thursbane answered as he walked towards the statue of the Father.

Aedrig finished her water then quickly filled up a canteen before walking over to where he stood. Her pigtails were a mess after the climb they just made and she didn't want to be without water again.

"The Father represents the balance of the Force. Knowledge and sincerity, but also harsh reality." Thursbane frowned at the canteen she handed, but drank it anyways.

"You said the Mother was chaos?" She smiled at him, then hopped up onto a stone bench and looked around. She was curious to find out what they needed to do here.

"Yes." Then he turned around and her breasts were on perfect eye level. "Um..."

Thursbane smiled but then quickly recomposed himself and stepped to the side, Aedrig had seen and stuck her tongue out at him. Thursbane shrugged and gave her his best grin.

"What do you think we need to do for the test? I see a door behind the waterfall but it looks closed." She said, pointing at the waterfall.

"Let's try and open it."

They pushed, pried and even tried to use the Force to open the large water soaked door. But it never budged. They sat down for awhile to dry off and Thursbane kept thinking back on what he had heard about different trials that were interlinked with the Father, Son, Daughter and the Mother. He disregarded most of them and instead compared their current surroundings to trials he had heard before. Then the idea sprang to mind.

"Maybe we should try to communicate to their essence through the Force?" Thursbane said out loud. Aedrig paused for a moment from her stick drawings and then jumped up and ran over to the statue of the Daughter.

"Oh! I heard a Master saying that you can sometimes connect to specters or spirits through meditation!" She clapped her hands and then sat down in front of the statue and got into a meditative stance. "Come on!"

"Alright, lets give it a try."

Aedrig and Thursbane then went into their meditative stances, both of them in front of the Daughter and Son.

Both of them fell into a deep meditative state, each struggling to block out the noise of the waterfall, the wind and any thoughts of doubt that pervaded their mind. This exercise of the mind took time, they were both young Padawan's and still had much to learn. But after a long struggle a twirling light of blue an red began to appear before the darkness in each of their minds.

The two distinct colors twirled close together, never touching but never fully separating further. Aedrig and Thursbane focused hard on the two lights and then pushed back as each of them split apart. The red going towards Thursbane and the blue light going towards Aedrig. The streams exploded and the two young Padawans saw a brief glimpse of the Daughter and the Son. Then the lights were gone.

The sound of stone scraping against stone invaded their ears and they both jumped up and saw the stone door open before them. A dark hallway now stood before them and lead deeper into the mountain.

"Let's go!" Aedrig cheered and took off. Thursbane held out a hand but couldn't get a word out before she was out of sight. Then like a weird ghost her head popped back out of the darkness and yelled at him.  
"Hurry up slowpoke!" Then she was gone. Thursbane shook his head and then followed.


	5. Chapter 5 Aedrig

The dark hallway led to an inner temple, a small one with the images of the four members of the family etched into each side. In the middle lay a metal table with numerous pieces of strange materials, including an odd liquid and an open flame that was colored purple. The table was spilt into two parts but still connected down the center. Making a strange H shape.

Both of them looked over the pieces again, the liquid was in a container that had a weird lip on it. Almost as if it were meant to be poured out. There was a stream of lines that went from the container to the other side near the purple flame. It was almost as if the container was meant to pour the strange fluid out, the fluid was a bit dark and murky. The container wouldn't budge though no matter how hard Thursbane and Aedrig tried to move it. They did notice that pieces of material near it were what looked like a chemical tablet, and white cloth with a rubber band on its edge. However they were sealed in a weird case that had words upon it. Words that were on movable pieces, they currently read "THERE IS NO PEACE, PASSION THERE IS".

Thursbane wrinkled his brow in thought.

"That sounds really familiar, it looks like we could move the words if we wanted too... AAHHH!" Thursbane cried out as the purple flame suddenly exploded outward and filled the room with heat, nearly searing his hair.

A giggling Aedrig jumped a bit on the other side, her pigtails now slightly singed.

"Are you crazy? You're going to burn yourself!" Thursbane snapped.

"There's a bunch of knobs over here, I accidentally bumped them all. I think they turn too. It looks like they control the gases and change the flames color." Aedgrig told him while turning some of the knobs to show him.

Thursbane looked at the lines in the middle of the table again, they were ruts. One was clean and open, the other had a weird paste that was just like lighter paste.

"I think I know what to do!" They both said in unison.

Aedrig giggled and said. "Look these knobs have writing on them similar to the writing on the case." Each knob had a word. Currently they read: A LIE IS PASSION. THERE IS ONLY PEACE.

"That sounds like the Sith code backwards." Thursbane commented.

She looked at him. "And how do you know the Sith code?" As she raised an eyebrow.

"I read." He gave her a hard look but came over.

While he adjusted the knobs she took a look at the writing on the case. She ran her fingers over the etched writing. The words moved and rotated. On the other side of Peace was Passion, Serenity, and Knowledge. Spinning them she made the phrase: THERE IS NO PASSION THERE IS SERENITY.

A loud CLICK sounded followed by a pressure seal hissing and the case opened.

"Hey look!" She showed Thursbane the stuff in the case. He on the other hand had placed the last knob in place. They read: PEACE IS A LIE. THERE IS ONLY PASSION.

The flame blazed turning a brilliant ruby red and igniting the rivet with lighter paste.

"It's a start." Thurbane smiled at her.

"I think liquid has to go in the other groove." As gently as she could she drew the water out of the container with the force.

"Wait!" Thursbane grabbed the cloth with the rubber band. "Let's filter it."

She nodded and gently she poured a little at a time while he followed the empty groove in the table. It was straining work. It wasn't the way she was use to using the force. By the time they were done she was physically and mentally exhausted.

He wiped the sweat from his brow. The rut with water seemed to glow blue. Gears and clanking sounded and out of the center of the table a bowl emerged with a hole in the center as if they need to pour something into it.

Picking up the chemical tablet, he reviewed it. It being the only thing they hadn't used yet.

Sitting down, she reviewed what they had done thus far.

First they had popped the case with the piece of the Jedi code. Second they changed the fire from purple to red with the Sith code. Each in-turn activated one of the ruts. She rubbed her head.

"A balance?"

"What?" He asked.

"Dark and light. It's a balance."

"But how does it apply to this?" He held up the chemical tablet.

"Salt!" She explained.

"That makes no sense." He sighed. She noticed he was tired as well.

"It's both good and bad. Salt helps cures food and heals wounds. Yet a salted ground produces no yield and drinking salt water can as good as kill you from dehydration."

"There for it is both light and dark." He nodded getting it.

"Now where are we going to get salt?" She asked.

"What's the chemical abbreviation for salt?"

"Salt is Sodium … S..O?"

"There isn't a So symbol on here. Ah wait here it is- Na (sodium)." He touched the tile and rose to reveal a hidden compartment with a glass bottle. "This doesn't look like salt though?"

She got up and took a look. Sodium was a silvery paste of a metal. "Maybe we have to add it to something?"

"Well I wish I'd paid attention more in science class."

"I'm trying to visualize a salt container."

"Come up with anything?" He chuckled.

"Iodized salt. That's what it said on the bottle."

"Ok. I for Iodine." Another glass bottle popped up with a black metallic crystals inside.

Taking both bottles they dropped them into the middle bowl. Both bottles slid down the center. Nothing happened.

"Maybe we should of opened them and poured them inside?"

"Maybe it wasn't the right combination." Thursbane picked up the chemical tablet again.

KAPLAM!

An explosion erupted beneath them throwing them aside and laying dazed on the floor.

"What the hell happened?" Thursbane yelled?

"Did we just make a bomb?" Aedrig yelled back.


End file.
